Astage history of The Cenci by Kenneth N. Cameron and Horst Frenz—“a first attempt at a task obviously long overdue” (p. 1081)—appeared in 1945 and, in uncovering some eleven productions in six countries over a fifty-year period, applied the first practical evidence to the long-debated contention that The Cenci is not an effective dramatic work. Although the history to this point was not an extensive one, the Cameron-Frenz study established that The Cenci could no longer be called a closet drama: it had, in fact, performed well as an acting play on more than one occasion. Hence, with skillful handling, it might be expected to do so in future presentations. It is unlikely that a more positive conclusion can be stated regarding The Cenci as a theatre piece. Nevertheless I feel, in the light of an impressive number of recent Cenci productions, that a continuing search of its stage history would be worthwhile, not only to substantiate the previous findings, but also (1) to indicate the interesting directions its record has taken since 1945, (2) to identify some of its limitations on the present-day stage, and (3) to bring it once again to the attention of scholars, directors, and producers who may still hold Edward Dowden's belief that Shelley, “unversed in the secrets of theatrical effect, [did not know] how to fit an acting play for the boards.”